The NCAA is moving toward expanding the roster limit for D-I men’s hockey from 26 players to 28.
According to a report in the Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald, the NCAA D-I men’s hockey oversight committee has approved the proposed change, but it still must clear several hurdles before becoming official.
The 26-player limit currently applies to schools that opted into the House settlement, which also allows those programs to provide full scholarships to their players. Schools that did not opt into the settlement face no roster limit but are restricted to 18 scholarships, the report said. All 10 members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference opted into the settlement, according to the Herald.
Coaches have expressed concern that a 26-player roster provides little cushion when injuries hit, particularly at goalie.
NCHC commissioner Heather Weems told the Grand Forks Herald that the proposal now moves to the conferences that were defendants in the House case — the B1G, Big 12, SEC and ACC. Those conferences will discuss the change with attorneys representing the plaintiffs and determine whether the settlement can be amended.
If that process is successful, the proposal would move to the NCAA Cabinet for final approval, the report said.
Weems said hockey is the first sport to formally seek a roster-size change under the new settlement, adding that health and safety concerns make additional roster flexibility particularly important, according to the report.